You know you need media coverage. You know a press release is part of the process. But you are already running a business, managing a team, serving clients, and trying to grow — and writing is not exactly on your list of strengths.

So do you hire someone to do it or figure it out yourself?

In my experience working with entrepreneurs on media placements, the answer depends less on budget and more on what stage your business is at and what you are actually trying to achieve. I have seen business owners spend $2,000 on a PR writer and get nothing from it — and others write their own press release in an afternoon and land coverage in three publications.

This guide breaks down exactly when PR writing services are worth it, when they are not, and what the smartest options are in 2026 for every budget.

What Are PR Writing Services?

PR writing services cover a range of professional writing support for businesses looking to get media coverage. They include:

Press release writing. A professional writer crafts your press release from scratch based on information you provide. This is the most common PR writing service and ranges from budget freelancers to specialized PR agencies.

Media pitch writing. A writer crafts personalized pitches to specific journalists and editors on your behalf. More targeted and often more effective than a generic press release but requires more upfront research.

Feature story writing. A writer interviews you and crafts a full narrative feature about your business — the kind of long-form story that publications use as dedicated articles rather than brief news items.

PR agency retainers. Full-service PR agencies handle everything — strategy, writing, distribution, journalist relationships, and media monitoring — for a monthly retainer typically starting at $3,000 to $10,000 per month.

The Case for Hiring PR Writing Services

You Get Professional Quality Immediately

An experienced PR writer knows how to structure a press release that journalists actually read, craft a headline that gets opened, and frame your story in a way that resonates with media. If writing is not your strength, hiring a professional eliminates the learning curve entirely.

You Save Time

Writing a strong press release takes most business owners 3 to 5 hours — longer if it is their first one. A professional writer can produce the same output in a fraction of the time. For business owners whose time is genuinely worth more than the cost of the service, outsourcing makes clear financial sense.

You Get an Outside Perspective

One of the biggest challenges business owners face when writing their own press releases is being too close to the story. What seems obviously important to you may not be the most compelling angle for media. A good PR writer brings an outsider’s perspective and identifies the story angle that journalists will actually care about.

The Case for Doing It Yourself

Nobody Knows Your Story Better Than You

The most compelling business stories come from the person who lived them. No PR writer, no matter how skilled, can replicate the authenticity and specific detail that comes from you telling your own story. For businesses where the founder’s personal journey is central to the brand, DIY writing often produces better results.

The Cost Savings Are Significant

Professional press release writing services range from $200 for a freelancer on Fiverr to $2,000+ for a specialized PR writer. For small businesses doing multiple releases per year, those costs add up quickly. Learning to write your own press releases is a skill that pays dividends indefinitely.

AI Tools Have Leveled the Playing Field

In 2026, business owners have access to AI writing tools that can produce a solid first draft press release in minutes. Tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Jasper can generate a structured press release from a few bullet points — which you then refine and personalize with your own voice and specific details. This hybrid approach gives you the speed of professional writing at a fraction of the cost.

What PR Writing Services Actually Cost in 2026

Understanding the market rates helps you evaluate whether any given service is worth the investment:

The Problem With Most PR Writing Services

Here is what the industry rarely tells you upfront:

Writing the press release is the easy part. Getting it covered is the hard part.

Most PR writing services deliver a document. That document still needs to be distributed, pitched, and followed up on before it generates any actual media coverage. You can pay $1,000 for a beautifully written press release and still get zero coverage if it never reaches the right journalists or fails to connect with a timely story angle.

This is the fundamental limitation of PR writing as a standalone service. It solves the writing problem without solving the coverage problem.

A Smarter Alternative: Direct Feature Placement

Rather than paying for writing services and then separately worrying about distribution and pickup, some businesses choose a more direct path, working with a publication that handles both the writing and the publishing in a single package.

This is exactly what CEO Medium offers. Rather than delivering a press release document that you then have to distribute and hope gets picked up, CEO Medium writes and publishes a dedicated feature story about your business directly on the platform — permanently indexed on Google, written by experienced writers, and syndicated to additional outlets depending on your package.

The key difference is guaranteed placement. You are not paying for a document. You are paying for a published article about your business that is live, indexed, and working for you from day one.

When to Hire PR Writing Services vs. Each Alternative

Hire a PR writer if:

• You have a significant one-time announcement, funding round, major launch, acquisition
• You are targeting top-tier national media and need a polished, professional release
• Writing is genuinely not your strength and you have the budget

Do it yourself if:

• You are just getting started and need to learn the basics
• Your budget is limited and you are willing to invest time instead of money
• Your story is deeply personal and you want to tell it in your own voice

Use AI tools if:

• You need to produce multiple press releases regularly
• You want professional quality without professional cost
• You are comfortable editing and personalizing AI-generated drafts

Use direct feature placement if:

• You want guaranteed published coverage rather than a document that may or may not get picked up
• You want a permanent SEO-indexed article about your business on Google, the kind that top business magazines publish about entrepreneurs every day
• You want your story told in depth rather than summarized in a 400-word press release

How to Evaluate Any PR Writing Service Before You Pay

Before hiring any PR writing service, ask these five questions:

1. Do they have samples of press releases that generated actual coverage? Anyone can write a press release. Ask for examples where their writing led to measurable media pickup. If they cannot provide examples, that is a red flag.
2. Do they understand your industry? A writer who covers technology startups may not understand the nuances of real estate, healthcare, or financial services. Industry knowledge matters because journalists can spot generic, uninformed pitches immediately.
3. What is included beyond the writing? Does the service include distribution? Follow-up pitching? Revisions? Understanding the full scope of what you are paying for prevents surprises later.
4. What is their revision policy? Your story needs to sound like your business. A good PR writer should be willing to revise until the tone, facts, and angle are right.
5. Can they guarantee anything? Most PR writing services cannot — and will tell you so honestly. If a service promises guaranteed coverage from a press release alone, approach with caution. The only way to guarantee coverage is to work directly with a publication.

Building Your Own PR Writing Capability

If budget is a constraint and you are committed to handling PR in-house, here is a practical path to building the skill yourself:

Start with the basics. Read our guide on how to write a press release — it covers the exact format, structure, and common mistakes that kill your chances of getting covered.

Use AI as your first draft tool. Feed your key facts into an AI writing tool and let it generate a structured first draft. Then rewrite the opening paragraph in your own voice, add specific data points, and insert a genuine quote from yourself or a client.

Study what gets covered. Spend 20 minutes a week reading the business section of your target publications. Notice what kinds of stories they run, what angles they favor, and what their readers care about. The more you understand the publication, the better you can tailor your pitches.

Write one press release a month. Like any skill, PR writing improves with practice. Commit to writing and distributing one press release per month regardless of how polished you think it is. The learning compounds quickly.

Final Thoughts

PR writing services are a legitimate investment for businesses with the budget and the right announcement to justify them. But they are not magic and they are not the only path to getting your business covered in media.

Whether you hire a professional writer, use AI tools to produce your own releases, or work directly with a publication for guaranteed placement, the most important factor is consistency. Businesses that show up in media consistently are the ones that get remembered, trusted, and chosen.

If you are ready to skip the uncertainty and get a dedicated feature story published about your business today, CEO Medium works with entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US to make that happen.

Ready for guaranteed coverage? CEO Medium publishes dedicated feature stories for entrepreneurs and business owners. Get Featured Today or email info@ceomedium.com.

The post PR Writing Services: When to Hire One vs. Do It Yourself (2026 Guide) appeared first on CEO Medium.

You can have the best product, the most dedicated team, and a track record that speaks for itself — and still lose clients to a competitor who is simply more visible. More talked about. More featured.

Business magazines are one of the most powerful visibility tools available to entrepreneurs today. A single feature in the right publication can do more for your credibility than a year of social media posts, paid ads, or cold outreach combined.

In my experience placing business owners in publications across the US, the entrepreneurs who get featured are not always the most successful ones in their industry. They are the ones who understand which publications matter, what those publications look for, and how to position their story to get noticed.

This guide covers the best business magazines for entrepreneurs in 2026 and gives you a practical roadmap for getting featured in them.

Why Getting Featured in a Business Magazine Still Matters

Before diving into the list, it is worth understanding what a magazine feature actually does for your business in 2026.

It builds credibility that money cannot buy. Anyone can run an ad. Not everyone gets featured in a publication with editorial standards. When a business magazine chooses to feature your story, it signals to your market that an independent third party found your work worthy of attention.

It ranks on Google. A well-written feature about your business published on a high-authority magazine website can rank on the first page of Google when someone searches your name or company. That is permanent, compounding visibility that works 24 hours a day.

It creates a credibility asset you can use everywhere. Once you are featured, that logo goes on your website, your email signature, your LinkedIn profile, and your pitch deck. “As featured in…” is one of the most powerful trust signals in business.

It attracts the right clients. The readers of business magazines are business owners, decision makers, and executives — exactly the people most entrepreneurs are trying to reach.

The Best Business Magazines for Entrepreneurs in 2026

1. Forbes

Forbes is the most recognized business publication in the world and being featured carries enormous credibility weight. Forbes covers entrepreneurship, leadership, technology, finance, and business strategy across every industry.

Best for: Established entrepreneurs with a strong track record, unique business insights, or a compelling personal story.

How to get featured: Forbes has a contributor network where approved writers pitch stories. The best path for most entrepreneurs is to be quoted as an expert source in an existing article rather than pitching a feature directly. Building a relationship with a Forbes contributor in your industry is the most reliable route.

Difficulty: High — Forbes receives thousands of pitches and the bar for coverage is significant.

2. Entrepreneur Magazine

Entrepreneur is one of the most widely read publications for small business owners and founders. It covers startups, growth strategies, franchise opportunities, leadership, and business culture.

Best for: Small business owners, franchise operators, startup founders, and entrepreneurs at any stage of growth.

How to get featured: Entrepreneur actively looks for real business stories with lessons other entrepreneurs can apply. Pitching a story about a challenge you overcame, an unconventional strategy that worked, or a milestone worth noting are all strong angles.

Difficulty: Medium — more accessible than Forbes but still competitive.

3. Inc. Magazine

Inc. focuses on fast-growing companies and the entrepreneurs building them. It is known for lists like the Inc. 5000 — the definitive ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Best for: High-growth businesses, tech startups, and entrepreneurs with strong revenue growth stories.

How to get featured: The Inc. 5000 application is the most direct path to Inc. coverage. Beyond that, Inc. writers actively seek sources and experts through platforms like HARO. Being consistently helpful as a source builds relationships that lead to features.

Difficulty: Medium to high — growth metrics matter significantly to Inc. editors.

4. Fast Company

Fast Company covers innovation, business, and the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. It has a strong focus on companies doing things differently — disrupting industries, building purpose-driven businesses, or solving problems in unconventional ways.

Best for: Tech entrepreneurs, innovators, purpose-driven businesses, and founders with a unique approach to their industry.

How to get featured: Fast Company responds well to pitches that connect your business to a broader trend or cultural moment. The angle needs to be forward-looking — what does your business say about where the industry is going?

Difficulty: High — Fast Company is selective and trend-focused.

5. Bloomberg Businessweek

Bloomberg Businessweek is one of the most respected business publications in the world, with deep coverage of finance, economics, technology, and global business strategy.

Best for: Businesses with financial or economic angles, companies operating at scale, and entrepreneurs with insights on market trends.

How to get featured: Bloomberg is primarily journalist-driven — they find their stories rather than accepting pitches from entrepreneurs directly. Being visible as an expert in your field through other publications, HARO, and LinkedIn increases the chances of a Bloomberg journalist finding you.

Difficulty: Very high — primarily for established businesses with significant scale.

6. CEO Medium

CEO Medium is a digital business magazine dedicated specifically to entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders across the US. Unlike traditional publications that rely on journalists to find your story, CEO Medium works directly with business owners to craft and publish dedicated feature stories.

Best for: Entrepreneurs, small business owners, realtors, consultants, and founders at any stage who want guaranteed media coverage with a permanent, SEO-indexed article about their business.

How to get featured: CEO Medium offers feature placement packages. You get a dedicated article written and published about your business, permanent indexing on Google, and syndication to additional outlets depending on your package.

Difficulty: Accessible designed specifically for entrepreneurs who want coverage without the uncertainty of traditional pitching.

How to Get Featured in a Business Magazine: A Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1: Choose the Right Publication for Your Stage

Not every magazine is right for every business. Match your pitch to where you are:

• Early stage or local business: Start with regional business journals, industry trade publications, and digital magazines like CEO Medium where the barrier to entry is lower and the audience is targeted.
• Growth stage: Target Entrepreneur and Inc. where mid-sized business stories get regular coverage.
• Established business with scale: Go after Forbes, Fast Company, and Bloomberg Businessweek where the bar is high but the credibility payoff is enormous.

Step 2: Craft a Story, Not a Profile

Magazines do not publish profiles of businesses. They publish stories about people building businesses. The difference is critical.

A profile says: “Here is what our company does and how successful we are.”

A story says: “Here is a challenge we faced, how we approached it differently, what we learned, and what that means for other entrepreneurs in our space.”

Before you pitch any publication, identify the story angle — the conflict, the turning point, the lesson, the unexpected result. That is what editors are looking for.

Step 3: Research the Right Contact

Every major publication has editors and writers who cover specific beats. Pitching the wrong person is as bad as not pitching at all.

Spend 20 minutes on LinkedIn and the publication’s website identifying:

• Who covers your industry or business type
• What stories they have published recently
• What angles they seem to favor

Then personalize your pitch to that specific person and reference their recent work.

Step 4: Write a One-Paragraph Pitch

Your initial pitch should be one paragraph maximum. Include:

• Who you are and what your business does in one sentence
• The story angle in one sentence
• Why their readers would care in one sentence
• A soft ask — “Would you be open to hearing more?”

Do not send a full press release as your first contact. Send a pitch. If they are interested, they will ask for more.

Step 5: Follow Up Once

If you do not hear back within 7 days, send one follow-up email. Keep it short — one sentence reminding them of your pitch and asking if they had a chance to consider it.

If you still do not hear back, move on to the next contact. Persistence is good. Repeated follow-ups to the same person are not.

The Fastest Path to Getting Featured in 2026

If you want guaranteed coverage without the uncertainty of pitching editors who may never respond, working directly with a business publication is the most efficient path.

CEO Medium works with entrepreneurs and small business owners to publish dedicated feature stories that are permanently indexed on Google, written to tell your story the way it deserves to be told, and syndicated to additional outlets to maximize reach.

Once your feature is live, combining it with a press release distribution service can extend your reach even further.

Rather than spending months pitching editors with no guarantee of coverage, you get a published feature that builds your credibility from day one.

Final Thoughts

Business magazines remain one of the most powerful visibility tools available to entrepreneurs in 2026. A single feature in the right publication builds credibility, drives compounding traffic, and positions you as a recognized voice in your industry.

Start with publications that match your current stage. Build your story before you pitch. Personalize every outreach. Follow up once and move on.

And if you want to shortcut the process entirely, CEO Medium is here to make sure your story gets told.

Ready to get your business featured? CEO Medium publishes dedicated feature stories for entrepreneurs and business owners across the US.

The post The Best Business Magazines for Entrepreneurs in 2026 (And How to Get Featured in Them) appeared first on CEO Medium.

Getting your press release in front of the right journalists, editors, and media outlets is the part most business owners underestimate. You can write the most compelling press release in the world and still get zero coverage if it never reaches the right people.

That is where press release distribution services come in.

In my experience working with small business owners and entrepreneurs on media placements, the distribution method you choose makes as much difference as the press release itself. Send it the wrong way and it disappears into a void. Send it the right way and you wake up to coverage in publications you never even pitched.

I have seen businesses spend $1,500 on PR Newswire distribution and get zero pickup  and others get featured in 12 publications from a single well-placed direct pitch that cost nothing.

This guide breaks down the best press release distribution services available in 2026, what they cost, who they are best for, and what the alternatives are if you want better results for less money.

What Is a Press Release Distribution Service?

A press release distribution service takes your press release and sends it to a network of journalists, newsrooms, editors, and media databases on your behalf.

The basic promise is simple: instead of manually building a media list and pitching hundreds of journalists one by one, you pay a service to do the distribution for you at scale.

Some services distribute to thousands of outlets simultaneously. Others focus on specific industries or regions. Some offer SEO benefits by publishing your release on high-authority news sites. The quality, reach, and cost vary dramatically between providers.

The Best Press Release Distribution Services in 2026

1. PR Newswire – Best for Maximum Reach

PR Newswire is the largest and most established press release distribution service in the world. A single release distributed through PR Newswire can reach thousands of newsrooms, journalists, and media databases simultaneously.

Best for: Large announcements, funding rounds, public company news, product launches targeting national media.

Cost: Starts around $350 per release for regional distribution. National distribution runs $800 to $1,500+ depending on word count and add-ons.

Pros:

• Widest distribution network in the industry
• Strong SEO benefits from syndication on high-authority news sites
• Trusted by journalists as a credible source

Cons:

• Expensive for small business owners
• No guarantee of actual journalist pickup or coverage
• Releases often get lost in the volume of content distributed daily

2. Business Wire  – Best for Financial and Corporate News

Business Wire is owned by Berkshire Hathaway and is the preferred distribution service for corporate announcements, earnings releases, and financial news. It has deep relationships with financial media and wire services.

Best for: Financial announcements, investor relations, corporate news, regulated industries.

Cost: Similar to PR Newswire – starts around $400 for regional, $900+ for national.

Pros:

• Strong reach into financial and business media
• Trusted by Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Reuters
• Good compliance tools for regulated industries

Cons:

• Overkill for most small businesses
• High cost with no guaranteed coverage
• Interface is dated and not beginner-friendly

3. EIN Presswire – Best Budget Option for Basic Distribution

EIN Presswire offers one of the most affordable entry points into press release distribution. For small businesses that want basic distribution without spending hundreds of dollars per release, it is a reasonable starting point.

Best for: Small businesses, startups, local businesses doing their first press releases.

Cost: Starts at $99 per release. Annual plans available for frequent users.

Pros:

• Affordable compared to PR Newswire and Business Wire
• Distributes to Google News and industry-specific outlets
• Simple to use

Cons:

• Smaller distribution network than premium services
• Less credibility with top-tier journalists
• Limited SEO impact compared to higher-tier services

4. Globe Newswire – Best for Mid-Market Businesses

Globe Newswire sits between EIN Presswire and PR Newswire in terms of reach and cost. It is a solid option for mid-sized businesses that need broader distribution than budget services offer but cannot justify the cost of PR Newswire.

Best for: Mid-market companies, technology businesses, businesses targeting trade media.

Cost: Starts around $200 per release for basic distribution.

Pros:

• Good balance of cost and reach
• Strong in technology and financial sectors
• Distributes to AP, Reuters, and major financial databases

Cons:

• Less name recognition than PR Newswire or Business Wire
• Pickup rates vary significantly by industry

5. Prowly – Best for Building Your Own Media List

Prowly takes a different approach from traditional distribution services. Rather than blasting your release to a generic network, Prowly gives you tools to build your own targeted media list, manage journalist relationships, and distribute directly to contacts who actually cover your industry.

Best for: Businesses doing ongoing PR who want to build real journalist relationships over time.

Cost: Starts at $258 per month — a subscription model rather than per-release pricing.

Pros:

• Targeted outreach rather than mass distribution
• Built-in media database with journalist contact info
• PR analytics and tracking

Cons:

• Monthly subscription is expensive for occasional use
• Requires more effort than set-and-forget distribution services
• Better suited for businesses with dedicated PR resources

The Hard Truth About Press Release Distribution Services

Here is what most distribution services will not tell you upfront:

Distribution does not equal coverage.

You can spend $1,500 sending a press release through PR Newswire and get zero journalists writing about your business. Distribution services guarantee that your release gets sent — they do not guarantee that anyone reads it, cares about it, or publishes a story about it.

The reality is that journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day through these services. Most get skimmed and deleted within seconds. Unless your story is genuinely newsworthy and perfectly timed, mass distribution alone is unlikely to generate meaningful coverage.

This does not mean distribution services are useless. They serve a real purpose — particularly for SEO, since your release gets published on hundreds of news sites and creates backlinks to your website. But if your goal is actual media coverage and real stories written about your business, distribution alone is rarely enough.

What Actually Gets Results: A Smarter Approach

The businesses that consistently earn media coverage in 2026 use a combination of approaches rather than relying on any single service:

Targeted direct outreach to journalists who specifically cover their industry, combined with a well-crafted pitch tailored to each contact.

HARO responses to get quoted in articles journalists are already writing, which requires no pitch and no distribution fee.

Direct publication partnerships with business media outlets that feature entrepreneurs and business owners as part of their editorial model.

That last option is worth understanding in more detail. Rather than paying $500 to $1,500 to distribute a press release that may never get picked up, some business owners choose to work directly with publications like CEO Medium to get a dedicated feature story written and published about their business.

The difference is significant. A press release distributed through a wire service is one of thousands sent that day. A dedicated feature story published on CEO Medium is a permanent, SEO-indexed article specifically about your business – written to rank on Google and reach your target audience directly.

Press Release Distribution vs. Direct Feature Placement: A Comparison

Which Press Release Distribution Service Should You Choose?

Here is a simple decision framework based on your situation:

If you are a small business doing your first press release and want basic distribution without spending a lot: Start with EIN Presswire at $99. It gives you Google News distribution and a reasonable starting point without a major financial commitment.

If you are announcing something significant, a funding round, major partnership, or product launch targeting national media: PR Newswire or Business Wire give you the widest reach and the most credibility with top-tier journalists.

If you want ongoing PR capability and are committed to building real journalist relationships over time: Prowly gives you the tools to do that properly.

If you want guaranteed coverage with a permanent article indexed on Google that specifically tells your business story: Working directly with a business publication like CEO Medium is the most efficient path.

Final Thoughts

Press release distribution services are a legitimate tool in your media strategy but they work best as part of a broader approach rather than a standalone solution.

Use distribution to get your news out broadly and build SEO backlinks. Use targeted outreach and HARO to build real journalist relationships. And use direct publication partnerships to guarantee that your story gets told the way it deserves to be told.

The goal is not just to send a press release. The goal is to get your business in front of the right people, build credibility that compounds over time, and make it impossible for your target customers to miss you.

If you are ready to go beyond distribution and get a dedicated feature story published about your business, CEO Medium works with entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US to make that happen.

The post Press Release Distribution Services: The Best Options Compared in 2026 appeared first on CEO Medium.

They picture a Fortune 500 brand hiring a $10,000-a-month agency, sending press releases to hundreds of journalists, and landing features in major publications through sheer spending power.

That picture is outdated.

In my experience working with entrepreneurs and business owners on media placements, the ones who get covered consistently are not always the biggest or best-funded. They are the ones who understand how media works and position themselves accordingly.

This guide breaks down exactly how to get media coverage for your small business in 2026 – without an agency, without a massive budget, and without wasting months chasing journalists who will never respond.

Why Media Coverage Still Matters in 2026

Before diving into strategy, it is worth understanding why media coverage is worth pursuing in the first place.

A single feature in the right publication can do more for your business than months of paid advertising. Here is why:

It builds permanent credibility. A published article about your business lives on Google indefinitely. When a potential client searches your name, they find proof that a real publication thought your story was worth telling.

It drives compounding traffic. Unlike an ad that disappears the moment you stop paying, an article keeps sending readers to your website for years.

It creates a trust shortcut. Customers trust businesses that have been featured in media more than businesses that have not. Being featured in even one credible publication changes how people perceive you.

It opens doors. Media coverage leads to speaking invitations, partnership opportunities, podcast appearances, and more coverage. One feature often leads to five more.

The 5 Most Effective Ways to Get Media Coverage in 2026

1. Build a Targeted Media List

The biggest mistake small business owners make with PR is sending the same pitch to every journalist they can find. This approach wastes time and burns bridges.

Instead, build a targeted list of 20 to 30 journalists and editors who specifically cover your industry, your region, or your type of business story.

To find the right contacts:

• Search Google for recent articles about businesses like yours and note the journalist’s name
• Follow industry publications and identify their regular contributors
• Use LinkedIn to find editors at local business journals and trade publications
• Check the masthead of publications you want to be featured in

A targeted list of 25 journalists who actually cover your space will outperform a blasted list of 500 every single time.

2. Write a Newsworthy Pitch

Journalists do not cover businesses. They cover stories. Your pitch needs to answer one question immediately: why should their readers care about this right now?

A strong pitch has three elements:

A clear news hook. What is happening that makes this timely? A product launch, a milestone, a trend you are responding to, a problem you are solving.

A specific angle. Not “my business is growing” but “my business grew 300% by doing the opposite of what every expert recommended.”

A short ask. One paragraph. Tell them who you are, what the story is, and why their audience would care. Do not attach a press release to the first email. Just pitch the idea.

3. Use HARO and Similar Platforms

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a free service where journalists post requests for sources and experts to quote in their articles. You sign up, receive daily emails with journalist requests, and respond to the ones relevant to your business.

This is one of the fastest ways to get quoted in major publications as a small business owner. A single good HARO response can land you a mention in Forbes, Entrepreneur, or Inc. without ever sending a cold pitch.

Other platforms that work similarly:

• Qwoted — newer alternative to HARO with higher quality requests
• SourceBottle — good for lifestyle and consumer brands
• ProfNet — more suited to established experts and academics

Check HARO requests every morning and respond within the first two hours. Journalists work on tight deadlines and the first good response usually wins.

4. Leverage Local Media First

National coverage is the goal for many business owners but local media is often the fastest and most impactful starting point.

Local newspapers, regional business journals, local TV news, and community blogs are all actively looking for stories about businesses in their area. The competition for coverage is far lower and the relationships you build with local journalists often lead to national introductions over time.

Start by pitching your local business journal or newspaper. Frame your story around a local angle — job creation, community impact, a local problem you are solving. Once you have local coverage, use that as proof of credibility when pitching national outlets.

5. Get Featured in a Business Publication Directly

Rather than chasing journalists and hoping they pick up your story, you can work directly with business publications that feature entrepreneurs and business owners as part of their editorial model.

This approach gives you:

• Control over how your story is told
• A guaranteed published feature rather than a maybe
• A permanent, SEO-indexed article that ranks on Google
• Syndication to additional outlets depending on the publication

At CEO Medium, we work with entrepreneurs and small business owners to craft and publish dedicated feature stories that reach thousands of readers in their target market. Rather than spending months pitching journalists with no guarantee of coverage, you get a published feature that works for your business 24 hours a day.

What Makes a Business Story Worth Covering

Whether you are pitching a journalist or working with a publication directly, your story needs one of these elements to be worth covering:

Conflict or challenge. You faced a serious obstacle and overcame it. Readers connect with struggle and resilience more than smooth success stories.

Surprising data or results. You achieved something unusual — grew faster than expected, found a counterintuitive solution, reached a milestone that defies the norm.

A clear human angle. There is a real person behind the business with a real reason for building it. Personal motivation is one of the most compelling story elements in business journalism.

Timely relevance. Your story connects to something happening in the world right now — a trend, a shift in consumer behavior, a market change.

A local or community angle. You are creating jobs, solving a local problem, or building something that your community can be proud of.

If your story has at least one of these elements, it is worth pitching.

Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances of Getting Covered

Pitching too broadly. Sending the same generic pitch to 500 journalists signals that you have not done your homework. Personalize every pitch to the specific journalist and publication.

Making it about you, not the reader. Journalists write for their audience, not for your business. Every pitch needs to lead with why their readers will care, not why the story matters to you.

Following up too aggressively. One follow-up email after 5 to 7 days is acceptable. Multiple follow-ups within a week will get you blacklisted.

No visuals or assets. Make it easy for journalists to say yes. Have a high-quality headshot, company photos, and a one-page media kit ready to send the moment someone shows interest.

Giving up too soon. Most business owners pitch once or twice and quit when they do not hear back. Consistent, strategic outreach over months is how small businesses build real media presence.

Building a Long-Term Media Presence

Getting one feature is good. Building a media presence that consistently generates coverage is what actually moves the needle for your business.

To do that, think of PR as a habit rather than a one-time effort:

• Pitch at least 5 journalists or publications every month
• Respond to HARO requests every morning
• Publish content on your own platform that journalists can reference
• Build genuine relationships with 3 to 5 journalists in your space over time
• Document your business milestones so you always have something newsworthy to pitch

Over 12 months of consistent effort, a small business can build the kind of media presence that most people assume only large companies can achieve.

Final Thoughts

Media coverage is not reserved for big companies with big budgets. It is available to any business owner who understands how to tell a compelling story and gets it in front of the right people.

Start with a targeted media list. Write pitches that lead with the story, not the product. Use free tools like HARO to get quoted in major publications. Build local coverage first and use it as a springboard to national outlets.

And if you want to shortcut the process and get a guaranteed feature story published and indexed on Google, CEO Medium works directly with business owners to make that happen.

Your story is worth telling. The question is whether you are going to tell it or keep waiting for someone else to notice.

Ready to get your business featured? CEO Medium publishes dedicated feature stories for entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US. Get Featured Today or email info@ceomedium.com

The post How to Get Media Coverage for Your Small Business in 2026 appeared first on CEO Medium.

Beyond business, Brent Polischuk has also spent many years involved in competitive hockey as a player, coach, and operations volunteer. Those experiences, along with his community work, have helped shape a leadership style that values preparation, accountability, and steady performance over time. In this interview, he discusses the concepts of responsibility, the art of decision-making, and explores what it takes to run reliable systems behind the scenes.

Q: You manage a delivery business that requires attention to logistics, people, and finances. What does responsibility mean to you in that kind of role?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Responsibility starts with recognizing that other people rely on the work you do, even if they never see it directly. In a delivery operation, customers expect their shipments to arrive safely and on schedule. Drivers need clear routes and reliable vehicles. Vendors expect communication to be straightforward. All of that creates a chain of expectations.

My job is to make sure those pieces work together smoothly. That means planning routes carefully, maintaining the vehicles, and staying organized with scheduling and finances. A lot of the work happens before the day even begins. When preparation is done properly, most problems never reach the customer. That’s really the goal: to handle issues early so the service itself feels simple and reliable.

Q: Running a fleet of vehicles can involve many moving parts. How do you keep operations running efficiently day after day?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Consistency and attention to detail make the biggest difference. Every vehicle in the fleet has to be maintained, because small mechanical issues can turn into major delays if they’re ignored. I try to stay very hands-on with maintenance schedules so that downtime is minimized.

Route planning is another key piece. If drivers know where they’re going and the schedule is realistic, the day runs more smoothly. That also means listening to feedback from the people on the road. They often see things that can improve efficiency.

At the same time, I monitor costs closely. Fuel, maintenance, insurance, and equipment all affect the financial health of the business. When you track those numbers consistently, it becomes easier to make practical decisions that keep the operation sustainable.

Q: Your background includes many years in competitive hockey. How has that experience influenced the way you run a business?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Sports teach you discipline and structure. When you’re involved in competitive hockey, preparation becomes part of everyday life. Practices, game planning, and team roles all require organization. Those same habits carry over into business.

In both settings, teamwork is essential. When people understand their responsibilities and trust each other to do their part, performance improves. Communication is also very important. Whether it’s on a team or in a business operation, clear expectations help everyone stay focused.

Another lesson from sports is learning to stay calm under pressure. Games can change quickly, and reacting emotionally usually doesn’t help. The same thing applies in business. Unexpected situations come up, but if you stay composed and focus on solutions, you can usually work through them.

Q: Financial management is a large part of your work as an owner-operator. How do you approach that responsibility?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Financial oversight is something that needs regular attention. You can’t just review numbers once in a while and hope everything works out. I track expenses closely and try to understand where money is being spent and how those costs affect long-term planning.

For example, maintaining vehicles properly may seem expensive in the short term, but it usually prevents larger repairs later. The same idea applies to budgeting and cost control. If you stay disciplined and plan ahead, the business becomes more stable.

Financial awareness also helps with decision-making. When you know your numbers, you can evaluate opportunities more carefully and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Over time, that kind of steady financial management builds resilience.

Q: You’ve also taken on roles supporting hockey programs and events. What did those experiences teach you about leadership?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Leadership often involves supporting others rather than seeking attention. In sports environments, there are many people working behind the scenes to make things run smoothly. Everyone from coaches and evaluators to volunteers and coordinators. Their work allows athletes to focus on performing.

I’ve learned that leadership sometimes means noticing small problems early and solving them quietly. When systems work properly, people may not even realize the effort that went into organizing them. But that preparation makes a real difference.

I think respect is also important. Everyone involved in a project or team contributes something valuable. When people feel respected and supported, they usually perform better and take pride in their work.

Q: What advice would you give to people who want to build dependable operations in their own work or businesses?

BRENT POLISCHUK: Focus on preparation and consistency. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to move quickly, but strong systems are built step by step. Take the time to organize your processes, maintain your equipment, and understand your finances.

Also remember that trust is earned over time. When people see that you follow through on your commitments, they become more confident working with you. Reliability may not always attract attention, but it creates lasting relationships.

Finally, stay open to learning. Every challenge teaches you something about how to improve your systems. If you approach your work with patience and accountability, progress usually follows.

The post Victoria’s Brent Polischuk on Leadership, Logistics, and Financial Discipline appeared first on CEO Medium.

The British economy is still struggling to recover from the pandemic, according to the latest data. The economy is 0.5% smaller than it was before the pandemic, and experts say that the main reasons for this are the lingering effects of the pandemic and the tighter post-Brexit immigration rules.

The ongoing skills shortage is a major challenge for businesses, but it is also an opportunity for those who are proactive. Here are our top tips for businesses facing labor challenges in 2023.

UK industries with skills shortages

To begin, it is important to identify the industries in the UK that are most affected by the skills shortage. A recent study found that the country’s biggest shortfalls are in a variety of sectors, including:

• Transport and logistics: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled drivers, warehouse workers, and customs agents.
• Hospitality: This sector is facing a shortage of skilled chefs, waiters, and hotel staff.
• Manufacturing and construction: These sectors are facing a shortage of skilled engineers, carpenters, and electricians.

Invest in your workforce for long-term success

Recruiting top talent is a time-sensitive process, as there is only a limited pool of qualified candidates available. A recruitment agency can help you find the right people quickly and efficiently.

Recruitment agencies have wider referral networks as a third party, allowing them to identify candidates with the necessary work experience. They also focus on different industries, so you can locate an agency that meets your specific requirements.

Recruitment agencies can help you find new talent with the core skills to help your company reach its goals.

Invest in your workforce to boost your business
Often, the skills you need are already present in your workforce, but they may not be fully utilized. By upskilling your employees, you can give them the skills they need to take on new challenges and responsibilities.

Upskilling your workforce can be a great way to improve your business and the skills of your employees. By following these tips, you can make the upskilling process a success.

Organizations with more resources may even pay for their employees to enroll in external training programs offered by universities or colleges. This personalized investment in your workforce can build loyalty and even provide a valuable public relations opportunity.

Utilise Apprenticeship to train and upskill your workforce
Apprenticeships can be a long-term solution to skills shortages. They can help employers reach a wider talent pool and offer prospective employees a strong, high-quality alternative to the traditional university degree.

A multi-pronged approach to recruitment that includes building relationships with educational institutions can help businesses find top talent at the source.

Boost your marketing reach and visibility
A strong marketing strategy can make your company more attractive to prospective employees. This is because it can help to increase brand awareness and generate interest in your company. You can partner with local educational institutions, promote your job openings on social media and in the local press, and track your results to improve your marketing strategy and attract future employees.

Sources 

GDP – data tables – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)  

Immigration – Winckworth Sherwood LLP (wslaw.co.uk) 

UK employers struggle with worst labour shortage since 1997 | Business | The Guardian 

The post Overcoming Skills Gaps: A Guide for Businesses appeared first on CEO Medium.

Fauteux firmly believes in the responsibility of leaders to contribute to the preservation of our world. In his words, “I believe that everyone in a leadership position has the responsibility to ensure we are protecting nature and acting sustainably. Without it, little of what we do or achieve holds significance or meaning. After all, we have to ensure that we have a place where others following in our footsteps have the opportunity to achieve their own goals.”

Fauteux’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree earned in 1995 from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. He also pursued further education, completing a Management Certificate from the American Management Association of International in 1999 as well as an Indigenous Studies Certificate from the University of Alberta in 2017. 

In this capacity as Senior Director of P3 at EQUANS Services, he’s responsible for managing the strategic delivery operations of multiple P3 contracts in both Canada and the United States. His areas of oversight encompass transit, healthcare, transportation, and cultural infrastructure. 

What does your day-to-day generally look like given your position?

Contract, Vendor, and Client Management are the activities that take up most of my day.  Making sure we are delivering on our commitments and serving our clients in the best, most sustainable way we can.

What initially inspired you to get into the field you’re in?

Leadership has always been the thing that I’ve gravitated to normally and environmentalism and sustainability are things that mean a lot to me personally. So being able to lead and contribute in those important areas has been great.

What do you think makes a great leader?

I generally subscribe to servant leadership so listening is where everything starts.  As a generalist, I believe strongly in putting the right people in the right places and then making sure you can support success, help them grow, and clear barriers for them. I also believe strongly that what gets measured, gets done so I am a big proponent of having accountability systems in place to track success.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception is that environmentalism and sustainability are only for environmentalists and that simply is not true. Everything we build, operate, occupy, use, etc. can be better more sustainable, and less harmful to the environment around us.  Keeping this in mind, ALL of us are responsible for this, not just the environmentalists.

What do you believe your future career is going to look like five years from now?

I imagine that I will be leading sustainably in whatever industry needs me. 

The post Our Interview With Brad Fauteux, senior director of P3 Management at EQUANS appeared first on CEO Medium.

Tell us a bit about you and how you got to where you are today. 

Maths was a passion of mine, so financial services seemed like the smart choice for me because of the synergies between the two. I started out at Dun & Bradstreet and then went on to the St James’s Place Partnership.

Initially, I worked on business taxation and trusts. But as the regulatory environment changed, so my work soon became increasingly harder. At the same time, my wife and I were expecting our first child, so I decided to consider other career choices.

After changing careers, I moved to Alternative Networks (now part of Daisy Group). They were a company on the up, having taken advantage of the deregulation of the UK telecoms market in the 1990s. During my time there, I learned about all the different services available. It was also a good fit for my interest in technology.

While I was there, I became a bit of a BlackBerry expert and that’s how I made most of my commission, selling the product. Back then, to add the BlackBerry service could be as much as £40 a month in addition to charges for calls and data. But it was a must-have as it enabled the user to significantly increase their productivity while they were out of the office.

A few years later I took on a role as Vodafone channel manager at BlackBerry (RIM). My main remit was looking after the relationships of indirect Vodafone partners. During my time there, I met almost all the big players within the UK telecoms market. That put the seed of an idea in my mind for Assimilated.

While I was at BlackBerry, one of my partners (Olive Communications) offered me the job of sales director. The company had endured some tough times with their T-Mobile relationship and needed to make some big changes with a new leader and different approach. I jumped at the chance.

Through a combination of new business and acquisitions, we grew the business from 10,000 connected mobile numbers to more than 70,000. Then a new chief executive came in to look at private equity opportunities. That’s when I decided to leave the business and took some time out to work out my next step.

Then, in August 2013, I decided to launch Assimilated. I started by buying a small customer base from a guy who worked out of a building that can best be described as a shed. This saved the trouble of applying for a new partnership with Vodafone and provided us with a core group of small companies to work with.

What services does Assimilated International provide and where are you based?

We deliver telecommunications services (mobile, hosted telephony, fixed internet, device management, etc), in the main to international companies based in the UK or USA. We have bases in Milton Keynes, Studio City (Los Angeles), and Lisbon, and we are about to open another in Madrid.

What three tools have enabled you to run your business more effectively?

Tekton (our billing platform) – it’s streets ahead of the majority of our competitors. Our unique customizations based on the requirements of our customers ensure we are able to provide them with better information than anyone else, more quickly.

Zapier – it connects all our platforms to automate many tasks. We estimate it saves us around 50 working hours every week. We also plan to implement new automation that will eliminate all repetitive and basic tasks necessary to efficiently run the business.

Salesforce – I have a hate: hate relationship with Salesforce. Its licensing model is inflexible, it’s clunky and clumsy to personalize and use, and integrations with other products are expensive and more difficult than most of its competitors. Having said that, we couldn’t operate without it.

What has been the secret to your success? How did you get there?

We solve problems for customers. Almost every large contract we have won has been because we provide innovative solutions to the problem that our competitors can’t solve. Over time, we have carefully adapted to the needs of our customers, to grow our product and revenue streams.

What has been your greatest achievement in business?

Re-establishing the business after clearing out the shareholders and selling our Vodafone dealer base. It meant starting over five years ago, but now we are three times larger and can focus exclusively on providing the best products and services.

What lessons have you learned in business? What are the main challenges you have had to overcome?

In the first five years, we focused mainly on our Vodafone partnership. Our offering was one of a dealer rather than a wholesale provider, and we were restricted in how could service our customers and the products we were encouraged to sell. Although Vodafone is still by a large margin the network we spend the most with as a wholesaler, now we aren’t subject to any of the network-directed targets and product objectives that we were previously bound by.

What is the best piece of advice you could offer yourself now?

Invest in solid legal protections from the outset. First of all, it may seem expensive and unnecessary, but, long-term, it’s a decision you won’t regret. By ensuring you have both flexibility and protection to account for the many possible directions your life may take will pay big dividends. Also, be prepared to have harder conversations to achieve your goals.

What life goals do you want to achieve in both business and on a personal level?

I want to turn Assimilated into the dominant player in international corporate telecommunications and establish ourselves as the brand that enables customers to fully globalize their telecommunications, providing unparalleled operational efficiency and service. And I would like to get a second dog once my girlfriend agrees!

What would you say to anyone looking to start a business now?

 If you just want to ‘be your own boss’ or you are ‘tired of people telling me what to do’ – don’t do it. But if you have a vision, make sure any legal agreements you have to allow you to achieve it without fear or favor.

The post Driving the future of telecommunications: an interview with Owen Keenan-Lindsey, founder and CEO of Assimilated International appeared first on CEO Medium.

 CEO Medium is a provider of on-site support services (BPO or Business Process Outsourcing) for professional service firms across the country and management consulting services to the legal industry. Here, we offer you some ways to go forward that make your growth manageable.                                                                 

Understanding Your Market

 Before you expand your business, you’ll want to go back to market research. Analyze your competition again and see where your business is able to fill in where they are leaving a gap.

 Then consider your consumer’s buying habits. Where do they go to buy their products, how do they research or look for reviews, and do they buy based on price or quality? And then, of course, go back and make sure your initial market research is still valid. Those are things like age, gender, income level, education, and geographic location

Next Comes the Plan

Having a clear plan can help you stay focused and make more informed decisions. Writing a new business plan may help, just like it did when you first got started with your business. If you have your original plan, you can expand that to include how you want to expand and what your new goals are.

Include your new financial plan, too. Just like in your original plan, your financial plan should be realistic in order to keep you from getting halfway there and then finding you don’t have the resources to finish.

Project Management

The Association for Project Management notes that planning, organizing, and executing your expansion efficiently requires a project management program. This involves several moving parts, such as project goals, creating a project plan, allocating resources, managing tasks and timelines, and assigning tasks to team members.

 Using cloud-based project management software means you can manage both work and collaboration in real-time. Integrated solutions for things like team communication, task tracking, resource management, and asset sharing are essential for effective project management. Seeing projects, goals, and team capacity in one place with real-time visibility means you can balance workloads and identify the best team members for each task. 

Increase Your Visibility

When expansion means moving to an office building, Fit Small Business points out that it’s important that you have signage that conveys professionalism and class. Installing a cast bronze plaque onto your office building with your business name and address can be just what you need. Be sure when ordering a plaque, you find a source that will allow you to customize the thickness, borders, background texture and color, and whatever else is important to you. Look for a durable plaque that can withstand the rigors of being outdoors.

Then it will be important to increase your online visibility, too. If you’re busy with your expansion, you may not have time to create enough contact to keep your website rankings where you need them to be. You can hire freelance content creators to improve your website’s SEO.

 Incentivize Customers

 There are many ways to attract and incentivize customers to check out your products or services. These include giveaways at your store or online via your website or social media.  Another strategy is to get customer referrals through methods such as offering gift cards or even donations to a charity of their choice. Also, by using these user research incentives you can gain valuable insight so you can better target your customers with deals as well as build relationships and therefore increasing retention.

Your Business Structure

And finally, take another look at your business structure. If you’re still operating as a sole proprietorship, now may be a good time to restructure your business as an LLC. As a limited liability company, you’re able to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. This is important in case your business runs into financial difficulties. Your personal assets like your home, car, and savings will be protected. An LLC has better tax advantages, too.

 Overall, a detailed expansion plan is key in providing you with a clear and actionable roadmap for growing your business. By taking the time to develop your plan, you’ll increase the chances of success for your expansion and minimize the risks and challenges that may arise.

CEO Medium covers the best stories of visionary entrepreneurs and influencers from around the globe and shares their experiences with the world. Read more informative articles today!

The post Having a Smart Business Expansion Plan appeared first on CEO Medium.

Following his work at Divco, Reiss switched to working in real estate management, operating as a project manager for a real estate division called Vista. In 2016 he founded Reiss Management, and soon after became the managing partner of a large multi-residential portfolio that continues to grow steadily under his direction.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Ami Reiss is an avid philanthropist, donating to multiple organizations, including synagogues, food banks, schools, and medical organizations.

Why did you decide to create Reiss Management?

It was important for us to create a company to handle the management of all our assets.  Since each property in our portfolio is owned by distinct companies, Reiss Management is able to serve as a central entity connecting the assets and consolidating resources in order to benefit from economies of scale and increase efficiency.

How do you start each day?

My wife and I wake up early each morning to get our three daughters ready for school. We eat breakfast as a family and then I drive my girls to school. I pray every morning, and get in a few minutes of exercise before heading to the office. When I get to the office, I start by reading and responding to important emails. I review the progress of our renovation projects, speak with the building managers about any issues that require my attention, and check out new properties that have recently come on the market.  Additionally, I try to make time to keep up with what’s going on with the markets and the news by visiting my favorite information outlets. I also spend a good amount of time on the road going to the properties to stay abreast of all operational issues. Communication with the team is vital, so I am constantly on the phone with the team members discussing everything that is relevant to the daily management of the properties.

What has changed in the rental market?

Due to very high demand in the rental market, landlords are now more than ever in a position to upgrade the quality of dwellings. This will increase the overall quality of life for renters, and make our Canadian cities even greater.

How important is collaboration?

No entrepreneur can be successful without the help of a great team. I make it a top priority to stay in close contact with my entire team, so that they know that I am always behind them and ready to help them in their tasks in any way I can.

Communication is key. Unify, and be greater than the sum of your parts.

What is one big-picture lesson you have learned over the course of your career?

When I was younger, I was always in a rush. Time felt like it was passing quickly and I needed to make the most of every opportunity, big or small. As I get older, I realize that as important as zeal is, finding a sustainable pace is of even greater value. We are in a marathon, not a sprint, so it is pace more than anything else that will ultimately determine success.

Believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to take risks.

How do you define success?I’m sure many agree, but it’s worth saying nonetheless: True success is being appreciative about, and happy with, whatever you may have.

What is one strategy that has helped you manage your business?

I always try to deal with things as they come up and not to push them off to a later time.  There is no better time than the present to deal with new matters.

What books do you recommend?

As success in business is dependent on one’s general state of mind, I would recommend that everyone take some time out of their schedule to study books that teach about faith in that which is bigger than ourselves. In my case it is the Torah, and the literature around it.

The post Our Interview With Ami Reiss, Founder of Reiss Management appeared first on CEO Medium.